Starting Lineup & Finishing Lineup?

#1
Now that we are a few games into the season, what would you like the starting lineup to be and what lineup would you like us to finish the 4th quarter with? (My take is below)


Starting Lineup:
PG - Lawson
SG - Afflalo
SF - Gay
PF - Tolliver
C - Cousins

Why Lawson over Collison?
I like Lawson's pass first approach and how he has been actively looking for getting others going. From the start, I'd rather have a PG in there that would be looking to get Cousins, Gay, & other players into a rhythm early on, and I think Lawson would be the best at it.

His defense has also been respectable so far this season, so I don't think we have to worry about him being a liability on that side of the floor.

His shot has been ineffective to say the least, but he's a career 44% shooter from 10 ft to 15 ft, 38% shooter from 16 ft to the 3pt line, and 37% from beyond the arc. I'm expecting his shot to improve as the season goes on which should help out the spacing in the starting lineup.

Why Afflalo over Temple/McLemore?
Afflalo looks to be giving effort on the defensive end once again. I will admit that I was skeptical that we would see him giving this type of effort after taking a 5 year hiatus, but you got to give props where props are due. His 3pt shooting is more consistent than either Temple or McLemore and he can hold his own on the defensive end. He's looking like a solid 3 & D player for us which is a great fit next to Cousins & Gay. Add to the fact that he can be decent #3 scorer and can get us some points going 1 on 1 in the post, and he just makes a lot of sense here. Lastly, his 0.7 TOs per 36 minutes & 1.6 AST/TO is great. He's not doing too much, picks his spots, and plays off Cousins & Gay.

Why Gay over Barnes?

Pretty self explanatory. We need his scoring, and he has been holding his own on defense this year.

Why Tolliver over Barnes/Cauley-Stein/Koufos/Casspi?
With Afflalo being the only major 3pt threat for Cousins & Gay (well at least with Lawson struggling), we really should be filling this spot with a player who can shoot to help space the floor for our main cogs. Neither Koufos & Cauley-Stein can consistently hit from 15+ ft right now which allows teams to cheat off of them and be only a step away from rotating over to help on Cousins or Gay. That leaves Tolliver, Barnes, & Casspi who can potentially fill that void. However, Barnes has only shot 34.2% from beyond the arc the last 3 seasons while Tolliver has been at 37.8% and Casspi has been at 38.7%. 34.2% is below league average (been around 35-36% for many years now) while 38% & 39% is above average (Among players who took at least 100 3s, Casspi's 38.7% would have been 45th in the league while Tolliver's 37.8% would have been 65th in the league).

Now I'm not saying Barnes shooting 34.2% the last 3 years rules him out because it still helps the team as a player can't leave him completely wide open, but his size & length make me reconsider having him as our full time PF. Barnes only has a 8'0.5" standing reach & 6'9" wingspan. Compare that to Tolliver who has a 8'11.5" standing reach & 7'2.5" wingspan or Casspi who has a 8'10.5" standing reach & a 6'9.25" winspan, Barnes' length leaves much to be desired at PF.

Defensively, I don't think Barnes would be able to match up with guys like Aldridge, Davis, Griffin, Favors, Jokic, Dieng, Nowitzki, etc. with his limited length. We'd need someone who at least has the ability to contest their shots. Tolliver & Casspi both have that length. However, considering Tolliver appears to be a more complete defender, has an extra 15-20 lbs of muscle to help bang down low (240-245 lbs), and plays smarter/more in control (Tolliver has averaged 0.9 TOs per 36 w/ a 1.5 AST/TO over the past 3 years while Casspi has averaged 2.0 TOs per 36 w/ a 1.1 AST/TO over the past 3 years), I have to give the nod to Tolliver.

Why Cousins over Koufos/Cauley-Stein?
No explanation needed.


Finishing Lineup:
PG - Collison
SG - Afflalo
SF - Barnes
PF - Gay
C - Cousins

Why Collison over Lawson?
Collison is an excellent 3pt shooter who also should provide more scoring than Lawson. Considering defenses tend to tighten up down the stretch, I'd rather have Collison out there providing even more space for Cousins & Gay to operate while also giving us an additional scorer to help break down the defense and get us some much needed baskets. Collison's defense shouldn't be a concern as we have seen him be an average to good defender under Malone. I'm sure Joerger can get him playing at a similar level. Lastly, his free throw shooting is a lot better than Lawson's (84% vs. 76%) which should make it all the more difficult for teams to try and comeback against us if we're holding a lead

Why Afflalo over Temple/McLemore?
Again, his consistent 3pt shooting & scoring ability will come in handy when defenses clamp down towards the end of games. Not to mention, his defense has been good this year and should be valuable down the stretch. He also doesn't tend to turn the ball over which is very important when each possession becomes all the more important. Lastly, (similar to Collison) he's a terrific free throw shooter (83% the last 3 years) which should help us close out teams in the end.

Why Barnes over Tolliver/Koufos/Cauley-Stein/Casspi?
With Cauley-Stein or Koufos next to Cousins, it will make it easier for opposing defenses to dial-in and lock down our offense. Considering Cousins can more than handle the duty of protecting the rim/paint, I wouldn't go with either of them in the closing minutes.

Casspi's turnovers and decision making down the stretch scare me a bit as he can often become frantic when he plays. When every possession becomes more and more valuable, you need players our there who won't be themselves. I don't have that confidence w/ Casspi. Also, I think there are better defensive options that can help us limit points on the other end.

Although I opted for Tolliver to start, I would ride it out with Barnes. With Collison in to give us another great 3pt shooter in the lineup, I'd prefer someone like Barnes who does a lot of the little things while also giving us someone who can move the ball and find others for some easy looks (considering we wouldn't have Lawson in the lineup). Tolliver is more of a swing it around or pump fake, take a dribble, and pass it off sort of player. He won't be able too make many skillful passes to help us break down defenses. Having 5 guys who can make that sort of pass (Collison, Afflalo, Barnes, Gay, & Cousins) should help prevent our offense from stalling.

Again, it'd be nice to have a better 3pt shooter here, but I think our spacing would still be good with a 38.4% 3pt shooter (Collison), 38.7% 3pt shooter (Afflalo), 34.2% 3pt shooter (Barnes), 34.5% 3pt shooter (Gay), and 33% 3pt shooter (Cousins) to prevent defenses from packing the paint.

Why Gay over Tolliver/Koufos/Cauley-Stein/Casspi?
Gay is a no brainer to end the game with his ability to score and clutch play, but the real question should be why go with a Barnes/Gay combo vs. keeping Gay at SF.

In this lineup, I'd be using Gay to defend the opposing team's PF. Gay has shown some ability to defend well at PF when he is motivated (see his games when matched up against Anthony Davis). With his length (8'11.5" standing reach & 7'2" wingspan), size (230 lbs), & athleticism, he should be able to handle the majority of PFs defensively. I wouldn't want Gay playing against PFs really up until the end of the game as I don't want to wear him out down low banging with the big bodies, but considering a lot of teams prefer to go small at the end, I don't think the "on the block banging" would be on a frequent basis.

Why Cousins over Koufos/Cauley-Stein?
No explanation needed.



So what is your preference? Who would you like to see start and who would you like to see end the game?